Backstage Beauty Report: The Pros' SOS Products

Imagine blow-drying and curling or straightening your hair, then applying, removing, and reapplying your makeup not just once, but five times a day, seven days a week for five straight weeks. It's a scary thought—and it's a reality for the models I've followed around since New York Fashion Week in early September. Lucky for them, stylists and makeup artists keep more than just hair spray and foundation in their kits. Each uses a variety of treatments, whether it's a face mask or a hair hydrator, to help the models look and feel better. I've kept my eyes peeled for these products, and here's what I've discovered. You're welcome.

SK-II Signs Eye Masks. These are makeup artist Pat McGrath's secret weapons when it comes to reducing puffiness around the eyes, which is key for early-morning shows. This season she broke them out backstage at Jil Sander, where the "no-makeup makeup" look required well-maintained skin underneath just foundation, highlighter, and a little concealer. And because they're cotton pads drenched in moisturizer, not a goopy cream, they're mess-free.

L'Oréal Professionnel Mythic Oil. At Anthony Vaccarello, hairstylist Anthony Turner admitted to using this spray-on nourishing oil to keep the models' hair looking beautiful. "It's great when they come in after weeks of blow-drying and ironing to just mist this on dry ends. It really helps." Bottles were given out as a gift at the show, and I'm officially obsessed—I personally love that it comes in a spray rather than a pump, so it doesn't leave your hands greasy.

Rodin Olio Lusso + Estée Lauder DayWear Advanced Multi-Protection Anti-Oxidant Creme + Estée Lauder Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator. Okay, so it's not one miracle product. But the potent mixture of these three products is Tom Pecheux's secret to keeping the models glowing—that and the five-minute facial massage he gives to each model that sits in his chair backstage. Pecheux does vary things sometimes. At Marni he skipped the Olio Lusso because he was using all cream makeup and didn't want the girls to look too shiny. And in the morning, he makes sure to slather a little extra of the DayWear Creme on the girls. "The cucumber in the formula kills any puffiness in the skin," he told me backstage.

Leave-in Conditioner. "It's be-nice-to-models day," hairstylist Peter Gray joked backstage at Vionnet here in Paris as he prepped each model's hair with both mousse and a leave-in conditioner. The conditioner moisturized the hair while the mouse helped him get the thickness and texture he wanted. Gray used a spray from L'Oréal Professionnel that is not available in the U.S., but there are some good options available stateside, such as Sally Hershberger Hyper Hydration Keratin Spray and Pantene Pro-V Heat Protection and Shine Spray. Gray misted damp hair with the conditioning spray first, and then raked in__Shu Uemura Art of Hair Ample Angora Mousse__ before whipping out the blow-dryer. The result was soft, healthy, and enviably pretty.